Patient: How could you know my blood pressure? You didn’t even check it!

Paramedic: (covering) I, uh, estimated it checking your pulse.

Triage Nurse: [. . .]!

Patient: You did no such thing! I used to be a nurse, you know.

Oops. Is there a prize for boneheadedness? I think I was even more astonished and amazed by the second lie which, of course, only made things totally and incomprehensibly worse. The paramedic, needless to say was deeply (and deservedly so, I might add) embarrassed.

Where I volunteer in Geriatrics, the retired Nurses are the Gemini’s of patients—great stories, nice people— but they know the ins and outs of health care and will always point out your mistakes, or know how to get what they need. Good on them for it too!